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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Madness Of The Night Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Madness of the Night is Daniel Dante (music) and Abir Blackshadow (vocal). We started after a long time in silence, we had other projectsand bands together. We are also married so had a break to concentrate on our children. Then later we started again to make music from 2 3 yearsago. We got very good responses and the result became Madness of the Night. And after 3 years of hard work we released our album The Asgardavia Massacre Record.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

Our influences are much from the 80Žs and 90Žs gothic rock, dark wave, punk rock scene. The sound is kind of heavy, especially the guitars. Some describe us as gothic metal and others just gothic rock. However sometimes music needs to be label so then we normally say a heavier version of traditional gothic rock.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Alot of things are coming from real stories like wars, domestic wars in Lebanon. We made a song called "State of Madness", dedicated toa maid who committed suicide in Lebanon after she was dragged on the streets by men. There is also feminism. Empowering women with songs like Oppression, against religious and cultural suppression of women. Stand up is very political against politicans, for a revolution inside the human. Voices Of The People is a song also against wars and violence. We are the gothrockers and we don't care is about bullying against Goths. Jävla Zigenare is against racism of gypsies in Scandanivia. Terrorroom is a song of helpness of a little girl when she lived in Lebanon, it ismainly a song about controlling fathers and a cruel male society that pushes down women into a cycle of violence and terror in the name of religion, culture and extreme patriarchy society in the Middle East. She is a Demon is a woman who transforms in the night to kill a man that abused her, it is also a feminist song. Also, the word demon in the Middle East is used against women, it also means a whore. The demon in Arabic is Shaytan. So the Shaytan (woman) is usually associated with a whore woman. Abir :"I used the word demon. I don't like to describe any woman with the word whore, it is not in my dictionary nor my world this word.I'm trying to empower women and not bring them down. Asgarda also meansa warrior taken from the Scandanivian Asgard location and mythology. The Asgarda is a female warrior, also an inspiration from Ukraine Asgarda. She challenges patriarchy especially in the Middle East and sometimes in the west.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Madness Of the Night?

We were thinking of a name and Abir suddenly said the name have to be in some kind of madness. Since we record music during night. It become Madness of the Night. It is also about Abir who is Bipolar, something she is not ashamed to speak about. Bipolar creativity have became part of Madness Of The Night.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We never had our first live performance yet, but we have ideas and thinking of to put something together. We might have support from otherbands to help us play live on our first shows. And it is an idea we areworking on. Until we bring in more members to the band.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We have got many requests to play live. Like we said in the answer before this, we need to set a lineup for Madness of the Night.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic rock?

We felt that we got very good response from people all over the world and not only within them who listen to gothic rock. Our record The Asgarda has got some pretty good reviews from metal zines too. We thinkour music is for everyone.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band?

Daniel got another project call Lithos Sarcophagos, working on an EP. That project is a darker and based on traditional gothic rock with someinfluence of black metal. The songs are still at the demo stage, so maybe Abir might join and put some her opera singing or aggressive thick vocals on some songs.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We think we found our style in a way, but we makes what comes through us. We have already made some new songs and we like catch new influences. However, our love for the traditional gothic rock have beenthere for the past 20 years, and thats how we met each others, so we might keep that influence in the future as well. We have just released our debut record The Asgarda wordwide via Massacre Records. We wish it goes well and this record will help us to finance our coming releases.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Some bands we like, then we need to mention The Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance ect. Course we take inspiration on what we are listen to. However, Daniel also have a passion for dark metal and some punk rock. Abir take much inspiration from Arabic classical singers like Majida ElRoumi, Fairuz and other singers like Lisa Gerrald.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

We got a family together, so we spend a lot of time with our kids. We like the forests, to walk. Daniel got a passion in photography, but that is his work beside the music. Abir is interested in feminism and C++ programming, she loves working on building new projects.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for taking time to make this interview with us. If anyone is interested in to listen to our music you can find the opening track (Oppression) at our website and a pre listening app where you can hear parts of all The Asgarda and of course buy the music for the support.